💰 Plaid Raises $575M at a $6B Valuation Amid IPO Delay

Fintech giant Plaid has raised $575 million in a new funding round, cutting its valuation to $6 billion from the 2021 peak of $13.4 billion. The move allows employees to cash out their equity as the company holds off on going public.

Funding Details:

⚪️Led by Franklin Templeton, Fidelity, and BlackRock.

⚪️Previous backers NEA and Ribbit Capital also participated.

⚪️Funding aimed at employee liquidity amid IPO delay.

Why it Matters:

🖱️Reflects a broader trend among private tech firms to offer liquidity through secondary rounds.

🖱️Follows similar moves by Ramp, Databricks, OpenAI, and Stripe.

🖱️IPO is still planned but not imminent.

Company Highlights:

🖱️ Сonnects users’ bank accounts to apps like Venmo, Robinhood, and Coinbase.

🖱️Expanded into bill payments, data analytics, and fraud prevention.

🖱️Growing focus on cybersecurity as AI-driven financial fraud surges.

As IPO markets remain uncertain, Plaid’s move highlights how late-stage startups are navigating market volatility while giving employees cash-out opportunities.

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First poster for Tron: Ares

In theaters on October 10.

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The live-action Minecraft movie is now tracking to open with at least $260M worldwide.

Budget is $150M

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The Fantastic Four is described as a ‘60s space race movie shot with miniatures, practical sets and vintage lenses.

“I really wanted it to feel like it was made in 1965, the way Stanley Kubrick would have made it. Within reason”

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The Pitt Season 2 will take place over a Fourth of July weekend.

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Jared Hess reveals that the Technoblade tribute in the Minecraft movie was a suggestion from Sebastian Hansen

“He was like, ‘Look, there's this amazing Minecraft player named Technoblade who passed away, and I would love to be able to honor him somehow in the film.’”

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🔥Andreessen Horowitz Prepares $20B AI Megafund

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is raising a $20 billion fund fully dedicated to artificial intelligence — the largest in the firm’s history and one of the biggest AI-focused venture funds ever.

The fund targets growth-stage AI companies and is already attracting interest from global LPs looking to back US tech without regulatory friction. It also positions a16z as a central infrastructure layer for AI startups, offering access to thousands of Nvidia GPUs for portfolio companies.

💡 Why it matters:

🔥 Marks a16z’s full commitment to the AI cycle.
🔥 Structured as a single AI-focused vehicle, signaling outsized conviction.
🔥 Could function as a private AI platform, tightly integrated with infra and capital.

With portfolio bets like xAI, Mistral, and shares in OpenAI, a16z is going all-in on the next wave of transformative tech. If successful, this megafund could reshape how late-stage AI is financed.

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First official look at Zootopia 2

In theaters on November 26

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Halle Berry says she isn’t returning as Storm in Avengers: Doomsday

“Keep waiting. It’s not going to be there”

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The Minecraft movie beat Barbie to become Warner Bros’ 3rd biggest domestic debut of all time.

The film came in $6M over projections, earning $163M in its domestic opening weekend.

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Michael Saronski is set to direct the live-action Death Stranding movie for A24 and Hideo Kojima.

Saronski previously directed ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ and ‘Pig’

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Angry Birds 3 will release on January 29, 2027 in theaters.

Paramount will distribute the film after Sony distributed the first two.

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Warner Bros confirms that Drew Goddard is developing a new ‘MATRIX’ movie.

He has previously written ‘Daredevil’, ‘The Martian’ and ‘The Cabin in the Woods’

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Kelly Reichardt’s new film ‘THE Mastermind’ will premiere at Cannes Film Festival in May.

• Starring John Magaro, Josh O'Connor and Alana Haim

• Follows an audacious art heist set during the Vietnam War

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Florence Pugh confirms she is set to return as Princess Irulan in ‘DUNE 3’ and begin filming this Summer.

“I hope we see more of her. I want more cool outfits!”

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Best new horror movies of 2025

1. Companion: Drew Hancock’s debut is a darkly comic, satirical horror about a sentient AI companion spiraling out of control. Set in a disturbingly near future, it features a standout performance from Sophie Thatcher and blends campy chaos with sharp commentary.

2. Nosferatu: Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a dark, erotically-charged reimagining of the 1922 classic, blending gothic horror with psychic obsession. With Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and a chilling Bill Skarsgård as the vampire, it’s a moody, menacing, and genuinely scary update steeped in dread.

3. Presence: Steven Soderbergh’s ghost drama offers a haunting twist on the genre, told from the perspective of a silent spirit observing a secretive family. More melancholic than scary, it’s a quietly unsettling and emotionally resonant take on the haunted house story.

4. The Monkey: Osgood Perkins adapts Stephen King’s story in The Monkey, where a cursed toy causes gory deaths with each wind-up. Featuring Theo James as both good and evil twins, it’s a bloody, tongue-in-cheek B-movie that leans into cartoonish horror fun without aiming for depth.

5. Wolf Man: Leigh Whannell returns with Wolf Man, a moody and gory werewolf tale starring Christopher Abbott as a devoted dad who encounters a deadly lycanthrope. While it doesn’t match The Invisible Man, it’s a stylish, thoughtful, and fun horror outing.

6. The Dammed: Set in a harsh 1800s winter, this eerie Nordic noir follows workers haunted by a deadly choice involving shipwreck survivors. Starring Odessa Young and Joe Cole, it’s a slow-burning psychological horror that builds chilling tension in a claustrophobic setting.

7. Drop: A tense tech thriller meets home invasion horror, this film offers a gripping ride as a mother follows sinister airdropped instructions to save her son. While not as tight as it aims to be, it’s a solid, suspenseful Friday night watch from Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon.

8. Get Away: A British family travels to a remote Swedish island for a creepy ritual called Karantän, encountering bizarre and possibly murderous locals. Written by Nick Frost, the film combines genre savvy and sharp humor, with Aisling Bea shining as the standout mom. Although it loses momentum towards the end, unexpected twists and over-the-top gore maintain its entertaining and playful tone.

9. The Woman in the Yard: Not a sequel to The Woman in the Window, this grief-driven horror follows a mother haunted after a tragic crash. Despite plot flaws, Danielle Deadwyler impresses, and Jaume Collet-Serra delivers a watchable, if not essential, thriller with eerie touches.

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Jessica Chastain will star in a new horror film ‘INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE’ from director Rob Savage.

The film follows a haunting told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.”

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🎬 Movies to watch in April

These are some of the latest movies to watch in theaters and on streaming in April:

The Bondsman:
One ticket to Hell with Kevin Bacon, please. In this Prime Video series, Bacon plays a bounty hunter who is resurrected by the Devil to escort home some demons who have made their way up to our world. But this doesn't mean Bacon belongs to the land of the living anymore, either. It’s the first big gig for creator Grainger David, who made industry waves with a short called The Chair.

Devil May Cry:
Capcom’s hit video game Devil May Cry is getting an animated adaptation from Adi Shankar, known for Castlevania. The eight-episode series follows demon hunter Dante (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch) as he battles dark forces, unaware the world’s fate depends on him. Animation is handled by Studio Mir, praised for its acclaimed work on The Legend of Korra and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.

Pulse:
Netflix debuts its first medical procedural this month, set in a Miami hospital where two resident doctors navigate a complex relationship amid an approaching hurricane. The series stars Willa Fitzgerald and Colin Woodell, with “Lost” co-creator Carlton Cuse and Zoe Robyn promising a cast of characters viewers will want to root for.

A Minecraft Movie:
After over a decade, Minecraft is finally hitting the big screen with Jack Black as Steve. The film follows four misfits learning to mine, craft, and imagine their way through the blocky world. Directed by Jared Hess, it promises to bring beloved game elements like creepers and animals to life, appealing to both gamers and general audiences.

The White Lotus:
Season 3 of The White Lotus ramps up the awkward drama, delivering some jaw-dropping mid-season moments. Creator Mike White ups the cringe factor, especially with shocking revelations about the Ratliff brothers’ boat party antics, leaving viewers as speechless as Walton Goggins during Episode 5’s monologue.

Some other movies to watch include:
Mobland, Freaky Tales, The Luckiest Man In America, The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror, Hacks, G20….

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Across The Spider-Verse releases on Disney+ on May 1

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